The present invention relates to sports-training devices and, more particularly, to a golf-training device for putting and including a ball return system.
Golfers practice both on the golf course and off the golf course to hone skills and improve scores. Golf training aids offer to the golfer an opportunity to practice golfing skills without actually going to a golf course or even leaving the home or office. Among the wide variety of such golf training aids, putting practice training devices are both notable and popular. Golfers can practice putting indoors on carpeting with a simulated target. While a simple target, e.g., an overturned glass or designated spot on the carpet, serves for a given single putt, the golfer typically putts multiple times at the target and desires that the ball consistently return to a given position from which a next putt may be executed. Furthermore, the golfer typically desires that the target simulate an actual golf cup or hole.
Thus, desirable putting practice training devices allow the golfer to target an actual hole and thereby simulate putting on a real golf course. Typically, these devices include a kick-back device propelling the golf ball back to the golfer whether the golfer hits the target or not, i.e., returns the ball to the golfer whether or not the golfer successfully drops the ball in the hole or cup.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,102,141 issued Apr. 7, 1992 to L. E. Jordan and entitled GOLF PUTTING PRACTICE DEVICE illustrates a golf-training device. The golfer putts a ball from one end of a flat area and across the flat area toward a slightly inclined ramp. The ball climbs the ramp and reaches a plateau including a target hole. An open and inclined capture trench lies laterally across and borders the back of the plateau behind the hole. Any ball going past the hole falls in the capture trench. The well or bottom of the hole couples by tunnel, i.e., under the surface of the plateau, to a mid-portion of the capture trench. Thus, any ball reaching the plateau either falls in the capture trench, i.e., when the golfer misses the putt, or falls in the hole and then reaches the capture trench by way of the tunnel. Because the return trench is inclined, the ball moves laterally therein. The trench terminates immediately adjacent to a kick-back device, i.e., a kick-back device located at the capture trench outlet. The kick-back device includes a trigger and plunger. When the ball hits the trigger, the kick-back device activates the plunger and the plunger strikes the ball to propel it longitudinally, i.e., back toward the golfer, along a return gutter. The return gutter terminates at a side-kick structure converting the longitudinal momentum of the ball into lateral momentum. More particularly, the ball strikes a rounded or diagonally oriented surface deflecting the ball from its longitudinal path along the gutter into and along a lateral path toward the flat area. The ball desirably comes to rest at the front of the flat area in position for a second putt toward the hole.
Unfortunately, such kick-back devices do not consistently propel the ball along its return path. In some cases, the ball simply does not properly engage the trigger and the device fails to activate the plunger. In other cases, the plunger does not consistently strike the ball and the kick-back device imparts inconsistent momentum along the return path. Because the longitudinal return momentum is inconsistent, when the side-kick structure converts it to lateral momentum the final resting place for the golf ball is indeterminate. In other words, the ball does not always return to the same spot in the putting area. Thus, when the ball does return to the flat area it typically comes to rest at substantially different locations from one putt to the next putt due to inconsistent delivery momentum along its return path.
It would be desirable to provide, therefore, a putting practice device more reliably and consistently returning the golf ball to the golfer. The subject matter of the present invention provides such a golf putting and ball return system.
The present invention controls golf ball momentum by first absorbing momentum of indeterminate magnitude and then allowing the golf ball to move under influence of gravity. In some cases, a controlled path directs the ball at key times to establish a consistent travel path.
A fundamental problem with prior art golf putting training aids is the lateral approach of the ball at the kick-back device. A lateral approach fails to consistently trigger the kick-back device or position the ball consistently for engagement by the plunger.
Under the present invention, however, the ball approaches the kick-back device longitudinally along a controlled path and under influence of gravity to consistently activate the trigger and to consistently position the ball for engagement by the plunger. As a result, the ball consistently activates the kick-back device and the kick-back device plunger imparts consistent momentum to the ball.
The invention also applies to ball return to the putting area whereby indeterminate magnitude longitudinal delivery momentum is absorbed and new and controlled lateral momentum returns the golf ball consistently to a given region of the putting area.
The subject matter of the present invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of this specification. However, both the organization and method of operation of the invention, together with further advantages and objects thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like elements.